Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Noise

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that HS2 Ltd’s Noise Model is verified for accuracy against other domestic and international High-Speed Rail services.

baroness vere of norbiton: The local and route-wide sound, noise and vibration effects arising from the operation of HS2 were set out in the Environmental Statements for Phase One and Phase 2a. The predictions used in the assessments were based on noise and vibration models extensively validated against measurements of existing high-speed trains in the UK and abroad and supplemented with reasonably foreseeable worst case assumptions about the noise emitted by HS2 trains. Both Houses scrutinised such effects before passing the High- Speed Rail (London to West Midlands) 2017.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Wendover

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposed HS2 Phase One viaducts at Wendover on (1) traffic flow, and (2) the future development of the A413.

baroness vere of norbiton: HS2 Ltd have been in consultation with the local authority Buckinghamshire Council about the impact of the Small Dean Viaduct at Wendover on A413 traffic flow. Agreed arrangements have been made so that the flow of the traffic underneath the viaduct will not be adversely affected. This has also been satisfied by road safety regulations. In 2019 HS2 Ltd undertook a review of the design of the Small Dean Viaduct spanning the A413 south of Wendover with consideration for futureproofing the A413 for future growth. Currently the A413 is single carriageway. Public feedback has been taken through engagement events. In response to the study HS2 Ltd have confirmed that the building of the viaduct will not inhibit any future road widening of the A413. The outcome from this design review has shown that the dualling of the A413 can still be carried out with the viaduct in place, outside the remit of the HS2 programme. Moreover, the building of the viaduct will not inhibit future local authority development plans. The outcome of this study has been reviewed by the local planning and highway authorities who are satisfied with this review and have no objection to the planned design of the proposed highway and viaduct design.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Costs

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HS2 Ltd used the same methodology to estimate costs on the (1) Area South, (2) Area Central, and (3) Area North, sections of the HS2 Phase One line of route.

baroness vere of norbiton: HS2 Ltd has utilised a number of methodologies to ensure that its cost estimates are robust, consistent, and appropriate These principles are put in place to enable a common approach for benchmarking across the three Areas of the Phase One line of route, and in order to demonstrate value for money.

Railway Network: Costs

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what methodology they use to estimate the costs of high-speed rail projects in the UK.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport looks to its Arm’s Length Body, HS2 Ltd and its consultants to estimate the cost of High-Speed Rail Projects in the UK, including the Rail Method of Measurement (RMM) and Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement (CESMM). The estimates are tested through benchmarking both nationally and internationally and are ultimately validated through the contracted prices HS2 Ltd secures with suppliers.

Airports: Redundancy

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government in what discussions, if any, they are currently involved to explore ways of reducing airport job losses in the UK.

baroness vere of norbiton: The aviation sector can draw on the unprecedented package of economic measures we have put in place during this time. These measures include: HMRC’s Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, including VAT deferrals; the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; HMT and the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility; and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme for large and small businesses.If airlines or airports find themselves in trouble as a result of coronavirus, even following the Government’s cross-economy wage and financial interventions, the Transport Secretary and Chancellor have confirmed that we are prepared to enter discussions with individual companies seeking bespoke support as a last resort, having exhausted all other options. Any intervention would need to represent value for money for taxpayers. The recent announcements about proposed redundancies will be very distressing news for employees and their families. Government recognises the challenges facing the aviation industry and remains committed to an open dialogue with the sector and unions, to minimise the damage to industry and retain jobs. We encourage airports and unions to engage constructively with each other, striving to provide employees with as much certainty as possible during this challenging time.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Wendover

viscount astor: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the conclusions of the British Tunnelling Society in their 2019 article forTunnels & Tunnelling International entitled ‘Tunnelling costs and production rates benchmarked’, which concluded that tunnelling costs decrease per unit length with increasing overall tunnelling length, and (2) the implications of these conclusions for estimates of the cost of the Wendover Short-Mined Tunnel Proposal on HS2 Phase One.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport has incorporated the Infrastructure and Projects Authority top-down benchmarking methodology for tunnelling, developed in partnership with the British Tunnelling Society, as part of the Transport Infrastructure Efficiency Strategy benchmarking initiative. The proposal for the short-mined tunnel at Wendover was rejected by the Government in 2018. We do not believe that this historical decision would have been any different had this methodology been applied at the time. The decision to reject the proposed short-mined tunnel at Wendover was based on the estimated cost of mitigating the poor ground conditions in the area of the proposed tunnel.

Public Transport: Coronavirus

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will begin to promote public transport and a reduction in private vehicle use as part of the post-COVID-19 recovery; and what steps they will take to achieve this.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government has provided advice on using public transport guided by the scientific evidence. This will enable people to practice social distancing and help avoid crowding. Our Safer Transport guidance makes clear that people should consider all other forms of transport, such as cycling and walking, before using public transport. We expect that mandatory face coverings will give people confidence to travel safely where they have no other option but to use public transport, this is alongside other measures such as regular hand washing and maintaining distance wherever possible. Government will continually monitor and review the evidence regarding public transport and provide updates when it is safe to do so. As part of our post-COVID-19 recovery plans, the Government is also providing £5 billion of new funding to overhaul bus and cycling links across England. This funding includes measures to encourage modal shift onto the bus, such as higher frequency services, more ‘turn up and go’ routes, new priority schemes, and more affordable fares. The new 5-year funding package builds on the Government’s determination to make buses work better for passengers. The details of the programmes, including how funding will be distributed, will be announced in due course. There will also be a National Bus Strategy which we are finalising our approach to.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Conservation

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to retrofitting existing buildings to make them more energy efficient.

lord callanan: The Government has a number of policies and proposals to improve the energy performance of buildings, for example: In his Summer Economic Update, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £2bn Green Home Grant scheme that will support homeowners and landlords in England to improve the energy efficiency of their properties, reducing energy bills and carbon emissions, and supporting a green economic recovery. The funding will be spent on paying for accredited tradespeople to install a range of measures, for example insulation, to improve the energy performance of their homes. Further detail on the range of measures will be announced in the coming days, before the full launch.The Energy Company Obligation (ECO), which installs energy efficiency measures is funded at £640 million per year, is now entirely focused on providing support to low income, vulnerable and fuel poor households.The Private Rented Sector Minimum standard regulations introduced on 1 April 2018 will improve the energy performance of rented properties. The regulations require landlords of domestic and non-domestic rental properties to bring their properties to EPC Band E or above. We recently consulted on raising the minimum energy standards for non-domestic privately rented properties to meet a preferred target of EPC B by 2030, and plan to publish the Government Response later this year. We will consult on tightening the minimum energy standards for domestic privately rented properties in due course.Public sector organisations can access the funding for decarbonisation projects, including certain retrofits through the Public Sector Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme. The capital pot for England stands £385 million by the end of 2020/21.The Government is planning to publish a Heat and Buildings Strategy in due course, which will set out the immediate actions we will take for reducing emissions from buildings. These actions include the deployment of energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating as part of an ambitious programme of work required to enable key strategic decisions on how we achieve the mass transition to low-carbon heat and set us on a path to decarbonising all homes and buildings.

Businesses: Ethnic Groups

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take following reports that many black-owned businesses struggle to find investors.

lord callanan: The Government’s access to finance schemes are open to all businesses and BAME-led businesses benefit from them. The Department’s ministerial team is actively engaging with the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) business community on a regular basis to cover multiple issues, including access to finance. The Future Fund provides government co-investment to innovative businesses. As of 21 June, the Future Fund had approved 252 applications for investment worth £236 million. Companies with BAME only and mixed ethnicity management teams accounted for over 55% of these applications, valued at £118.5m. The British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme had delivered more than 71,500 loans to entrepreneurs by the end of March 2020, providing more than £586 million of funding. Of these, 20 per cent of the total were to applicants from a BAME background, compared to approximately 15 per cent of the UK’s population who are from a BAME background (2011 census).

Climate Change: Carbon Emissions

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce UKconsumption emissions in line with the report by the Committee on Climate Change Reducing UK emissions: 2020 Progress Report to Parliament, published on 25 June.

lord callanan: The UK follows the agreed international approach for estimating and reporting greenhouse gas emissions under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, which is for countries to report the emissions produced within their territories. Nevertheless, as the CCC highlight, we recognise the importance of also monitoring emissions on a consumption basis i.e. including emissions embedded in imports, and we publish data on this annually. Our consumption emissions fell by 21 per cent between 2007 and 2017, and by 3 per cent between 2016 and 2017. We will formally respond to the Committee on Climate Change’s detailed recommendations in October.

Energy Performance Certificates

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the conclusion of the report by the Committee on Climate Change Reducing UK emissions: 2020 Progress Report to Parliament, published on 25 June, that "Energy Performance Certificate ratings have had issues with inconsistent or inaccurate estimations and measurements, leading to the likelihood that homes that do not meet efficiency standards can be rented", what plans they have to strengthen the Energy Performance Certificate system.

lord callanan: Since 1 April 2020, The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and wales) Regulations 2015 require that, subject to certain exemptions, all domestic private rented sector landlords in scope improve their properties to a minimum energy efficiency standard of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band E. An EPC Call for Evidence ran from 26 July 2018 to 19 October 2018 and sought evidence on how EPCs performed against three attributes: quality, availability, and encouraging action to improve energy efficiency. The forthcoming Summary of Responses will outline the evidence received, including on effectiveness of EPCs. Alongside this, we will publish an EPC Action Plan to maximise the effectiveness of EPCs as a tool for the future. Additionally, BEIS is in the process of updating the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) – the methodology used to generate EPC scores. SAP is updated in line with the updates to Part L of the Building Regulations, usually every 3-5 years. The next version of SAP (SAP 10), was consulted on in 2017 and is due to come into force with the updated version of Part L of the Building Regulations. This SAP update together with the EPC Action Plan will help ensure home energy performance assessments are as accurate as possible.

Post Office: ICT

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 23 June (HL5752), in what ways, if at all, the Horizon judgments considered the extent to which individuals were responsible for the failings of the Post Office

lord callanan: The Horizon Judgments did not attribute individual responsibility for the system failings. The Judgment on the first "Common Issues" trial, concerned the terms and interpretation of the contract between postmasters and Post Office, and the second "Horizon Issues" trial, concerned the function and reliability of the Horizon Point of Sale system.The findings outlined throughout the Horizon judgments provided an extensive insight as to what went wrong at the Post Office, including an independent judicial view of the facts all sides were looking for. The Post Office has accepted that, in the past, it got things wrong in its dealings with a number of postmasters. Under the leadership of its new CEO, the Post Office is now committed to applying the lessons learnt from the litigation to build and strengthen the relationship with postmasters.The Judge when handing down the Horizon Issues Judgment raised concerns in relation to the evidence provided by Fujitsu employees. He has referred these cases to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about (1) the arrest ofSaifuddin Najajreh, Khalaf Shakarneh, and Amin Al-Sulaibi, and (2) the subsequent impact of that detention on their education.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made representations about these cases.

Hammouda al-Sheikh

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israelabout the 10-year prison sentence given toHammouda al-Sheikh.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have not made representations on this particular case.

Eritrea: National Service

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 February (HL1258), why they described those National Service workers employed by Segen engineering as “civilian”; whether those workers were recruited through national military conscription in Eritrea; and how they categories which workers are (1) civilians, and (2) part of the military.

baroness sugg: The Eritrean Government has justified civilian and military national service on grounds of the security threat posed by Ethiopia, but we have yet to see concrete proposals for reform following the peace declaration. According to our information, every Eritrean young person completes their 12th and final year of school at the national service military training centre at Sawa where they do both military training as well as academic study. At the end, they take exams which leads to some going to college, some receiving vocational training, while others join government ministries or the military. All jobs in Eritrea in the public sector are done by Eritreans on national service, and these include the civil service, teachers, doctors, construction and the military. Sustainable reform of national service needs to happen in tandem with improvements to the economic situation and job creation. We will continue to monitor the situation.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Environment Protection

lord randall of uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the merger of theForeign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Developmentonthe delivery of (1) conservation, and (2) environmental, projects overseas.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Tackling climate change in collaboration with international partners remains a high priority for this Government. By aligning our efforts, the creation of the new Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office will allow us to seize the opportunities ahead, as we prepare to take on the G7 presidency and host COP26 next year. Further details on how the new Department's strategic priorities will be implemented, including through a blend of bilateral and multilateral assistance, will be set out in due course.

Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review

lord browne of ladyton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to make the Written Ministerial Statementthat provides notification that work on the Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review has been formally paused.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government paused its Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy in April due to the pressing need to focus on COVID-19. We have formally recommenced the Review, building on the work done since February. Deputy National Security Advisor for the Integrated Review (IR) Alex Ellis, has written to Parliamentary Committees (Joint Committee on National Security Strategy, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Development) informing them that the IR has formally recommenced. There are no current plans to make a Written Ministerial Statement. Work is underway to update the GOV.UK website with up to date information on the IR.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

lord hay of ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the security situation in Northern Ireland.

viscount younger of leckie: The threat from dissident republican terrorism continues to be SEVERE in Northern Ireland. This Government’s first priority is to keep people safe and secure right across the United Kingdom. Terrorism, paramilitary violence and criminality have no place in Northern Ireland - they must not hold us back from progress towards a peaceful and prosperous future. The Police Service of Northern Ireland, MI5 and others who work to keep people safe have our full support for the public service they give.

Translink: Northern Ireland

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Ministers and officials in the Northern Ireland Executive about providing emergency support funding for Translink.

viscount younger of leckie: Public transport within Northern Ireland is devolved and the responsibility of the Department for Infrastructure. The Government has been working closely with the NI Executive to ensure continued transport connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government has not been approached by the Executive with regard to specific support funding for Translink, which would be for the Executive to resolve in the first instance. In June, the NI Executive’s Finance Minister provided Translink with an additional £20m to cover loss of income as a result in the sharp drop in passenger numbers.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Screening

baroness thornton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of collecting a sample for COVID-19 testing through self-swabbing home test kits in comparison to tests administered by medical professionals.

lord bethell: International peer reviewed evidence, and real-world assessments from the Department’s testing programme has shown that swab tests taken by non-clinically trained individuals are just as effective as those taken by clinicians. Instructions on how to perform these types of tests are included wherever individuals are asked to undertake self-swabbing.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bethell on 3 June (HL4782), what assessment they have made of the research referenced in the original question; and what assessment they have made of the impact acycle of a 50-day lock down followed by a 30-day relaxation would have on (1) the UK’s COVID-19 infection rate, and (2) the UK’s public finances.

lord bethell: No specific assessment has been made of the research by Dr Rajiv Chowdhury et al. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has reviewed and considered papers that look at the concept of, and different thresholds for, reimplementing lockdown. SAGE provides Ministers and officials with evidence-based scientific advice in emergencies based on a range of sources.As stated in my previous answer of 3 June, we have published the statements and the accompanying evidence to demonstrate how our understanding of COVID-19 has continued to evolve as new data emerges. At all times, we have been consistently guided by scientific and medical advice.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies' advice that there is a lack of information on the modes of COVID-19 transmission in the UK, what steps they are taking to close that knowledge gap.

lord bethell: The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is the largest public funder of health research in the United Kingdom.As part of the NIHR-UK Research and Innovation rolling call for rapid research proposals, two highlight notices were issued in May inviting COVID-19 research proposals on transmission, and priority groups – transmission, risk factors and seroprevalence.These highlight notices have been issued following advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and to help address gaps in knowledge about transmission of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Applications are being considered for funding, including on the quality of the science proposed and its relevance to the highlight notices. Successful proposals will be announced as soon as possible.

Contact Tracing: Computer Software

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the studies, published by Trinity College Dublin on 15 and 26 June, which found that the COVID-19 contract tracing application’s performance was “similar to that of triggering notiﬁcations by randomly selecting from the participants, regardless of proximity" and that “there is only a weak dependence of detection rate on distance”; and what steps they intend to take in response.

lord bethell: Rigorous testing has been undertaken through the development of the app, including the Isle of Wight pilot and multiple field tests. We continue to work with and learn from international partners across the world, especially countries which have launched apps using the Apple and Google Exposure Notification framework that Trinity College Dublin tested. We continue to collaborate closely with Apple and Google on refining their application programming interface.

Contact Tracing: Computer Software

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government to publish the reasons for developing a bespoke COVID-19 contact tracing application; whether they sought to collaborate with the developers of such applications in operation in other countries; if not, why not; and what lessons they have learned from the decision not to continue with their initial approach to the development of such an application.

lord bethell: We are working with other countries to exchange ideas and like the United Kingdom, many countries are working on solutions that best support their local systems while taking into account cultural and societal differences. The challenges we have faced are not unique to us and have been experienced by a number of countries, including some who rolled out the app and then had to change their approach. It is only right that we test our approach and make sure we deliver a product that works.

Department for Education

Environment Protection: Employment

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that local training is available to enable communities to benefit from the low-carbon jobs the Local Government Association report Local green jobs - accelerating a sustainable economic recovery, published on 11 June, estimates will be supported by England’s net zero transition by 2030 and 2050.

baroness berridge: We want to make the skills systems more responsive to employer skill needs both locally and nationally and we have been working with employers in all sectors including those in the green economy sector to jointly design and deliver policies and programmes to do this.This includes key reforms to apprenticeships, making them longer, better, with more off-the job training and proper assessment at the end. With employers in control of developing standards, they can be assured that apprentices will get the skills employers need. There are range of apprenticeships standards in the Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care pathway such as Crop Technicians, Forest Operatives, Ecologists and Environmental practitioner, which is used by employers of all types seeking to promote sustainable growth.We are also making technical education more responsive to the needs of communities and employers, with the introduction of T Levels this September, proposals to reform higher technical education and investment in Institutes of Technology – flagship providers that will help to drive regional growth in key areas like engineering and advanced manufacturing and meeting higher level technical skills needs.

Erasmus+ Programme

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial losses and impact on the Higher Education sector should the UK fail to agree continued participation in the Erasmus+ programme.

lord parkinson of whitley bay: The UK’s participation in the next Erasmus+ programme (2021–2027) is a matter for our ongoing negotiations with the EU. The government remains open to considering participation in elements of the next Erasmus+ programme, provided that the terms are in the UK’s interests. It would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of those negotiations.

Music: Young People

lord lingfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing for (1) secondary schools, (2) music hubs, and (3) national youth music organisations, to give young people opportunities to play in classical music ensembles and orchestras.

baroness berridge: All pupils should have access to an excellent, well-rounded education, and music education is central to this.The government invested over £300 million of ring-fenced funding in music hubs in 2016-20, to ensure all children, whatever their background, have access to a high-quality music education, including learning to play musical instruments and having the opportunity to play and sing in ensembles.On 3 January 2020, we announced a further £80 million investment in music hubs for 2020-21. Alongside this investment, charities that help young people learn about different styles of music are also set to receive a further £1 million to support the next generation of musicians. These programmes are In Harmony, National Youth Music Organisations (NYMOs) and Music for Youth.

Music: Education

lord lingfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment has been made of trends in the number of pupils learning lesser-played instruments such as the (1) bassoon, (2) French horn, and (3) double bass, through school music tuition.

baroness berridge: The government believes all pupils should have access to an excellent, well-rounded education and the arts and music are central to this.The government does not hold information on individual school music tuition. However, music is included in the national curriculum and is compulsory in all maintained schools from the age of 5 to 14. Post-14, all pupils in maintained schools must be offered the opportunity to study at least one subject in the arts.

Foster Care

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to deal with the shortfall of people coming forward to be foster parents.

baroness berridge: It is vital that local authorities can find the right carers to meet the needs of vulnerable children. To help unlock fostering capacity during the COVID-19 outbreak, we have made amendments to the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 and the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011. These changes aim to make it easier to identify potential placements, particularly in emergency situations, and so that new foster carers can be assessed and approved without unnecessary delay.An independent review of foster care in England in 2017 highlighted that England does not have a shortage of foster carers overall but there are geographical gaps in provision, particularly for specific needs.The department commissioned behavioural insights research which commenced in November 2019, to explore the barriers and motivations of prospective carers and seek recommendations for more targeted approaches in local recruitment. We will share these findings with fostering services and recruitment managers.The department also recently funded 7 feasibility studies in commissioning and sufficiency planning, bringing together local authorities with their partners to explore innovative practices, including collaborative approaches to foster care recruitment. We are also exploring whether digital approaches could help us in supporting local authorities to improve matching of children to carers.We have committed £125,000 from June to October to fund a new FosterlinePlus service, through which prospective foster families will be able to access the support and information they need to offer caring homes for some of our most vulnerable children.We supported the Fostering Network’s Foster Care Fortnight in May through social media channels. We also recently launched updated fostering pages to make information more accessible to potential carers, and they are available here: https://www.gov.uk/becoming-foster-parent.

Countryside: Education

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require all schools to ensure that children know the Countryside Code and the need to adhere to it.

baroness berridge: Maintained schools are required to teach the national curriculum as part of their wider school curriculum. Details of the national curriculum subjects and content of programmes of study for each can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum.Academies are not required to follow the national curriculum, though they are expected to teach a curriculum that is similar in breadth and ambition, and are required by their funding agreements to teach English, mathematics, science and religious education.All schools are required to teach a balanced and broadly based curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.While it is not a prescribed topic in the national curriculum, all state-funded schools have the flexibility within their school curriculum to teach about the Countryside Code if they choose to do so, through for example:Citizenship teaches young people about their responsibilities as adults also includes opportunities for active citizenship, for example, forms of volunteering to support a cause or their local community.As part of the science curriculum, children are taught about the scientific concepts that relate to the environment. In primary science, pupils are taught about habitats of plants and animals and about how environments can change. This can include positive and negative impact of human actions, such as nature reserves or littering. This is further developed in secondary science, where pupils are taught about ecosystems and biodiversity.

Ministry of Justice

Criminal Proceedings: Travellers

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in rectifying the absence of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers from official monitoring systems across the criminal justice system since the publication of the Lammy Review.

lord keen of elie: The Ministry of Justice is committed to improving collection and publication of data to identify and tackle any disparities in the Criminal Justice System.In England and Wales, there are 18 ethnic groups recommended for use by government when asking for someone’s ethnicity. It is recognised that these ethnic groups do not represent how all people identify. People are encouraged to write in their ethnicity using their own words if they do not identify with any groups in the list.Criminal justice organisations of England and Wales have adopted a revised Self-Defined 18+1 data standard to deliver greater precision when recording the defendant’s ethnicity status. This 18+1 standard added the option of “Gypsy or Irish Traveller”, however it does not include “Roma” and relies on self-identification by a defendant, who may choose to withhold this information.Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) integrated the capability to collect data using the 18+1 standard into its systems from June 2018.The Youth Justice Board (YJB) have also now extended the ethnic categorisation within the Youth Offending Team Case Management System to the 18+1 standard, meaning that “Gypsy or Irish Traveller” is now recorded as a separate ethnic group in addition to the other 18 ethnic groups recorded. This will enable the YJB to explore and better understand the experience throughout the Youth Justice System for GRT individuals and identify areas for potential work.W3 (White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller) ethnicity has been available in nDelius, the probation service’s case management system, since its inception in 2013 following the “Gypsy or Irish Traveller” ethnicity option being included in the 2011 Census.The Ministry of Justice has produced guidance for all criminal justice staff on working with GRT communities. This covers the importance of recording ethnicity and how to overcome the issues of low recording.

Forced Marriage

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to bring forward measures to safeguard against predatory marriages, particularly thoseinvolving older people.

lord keen of elie: A registration official has a duty to stop proceedings if they are of opinion that either of the parties to a marriage does not have the capacity to marry. The Government has no current legislative plans to change the existing safeguards.The Law Commission is currently reviewing how and where weddings take place, including the formalities and safeguarding checks required before a marriage is conducted. The Government looks forward to publication of the Law Commission’s consultation paper in September.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Travellers: Equality

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the development of a cross-Government strategy to tackle inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

lord greenhalgh: The Government’s top priority over recent months has been to respond to the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.My department has been supporting the co-ordination of cross Government work in response to the impact of Covid-19 on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, to ensure their needs are reflected in response and recovery planning.We expect to shortly resume our scoping work on the Government's June 2019 commitment to develop a GRT Strategy to tackle inequalities in these communities.

Housing: Standards

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theWritten Answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 29 June(HL5657),whether the Future Homes Standard consultation meets the requirements of section J of the Cabinet Office'sConsultation Principles, as updated on 19 March 2018.

lord greenhalgh: The Government remains committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it. In October 2019, we launched the first stage of a two-part consultation on Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations. We proposed an ambitious uplift in the energy efficiency of new homes through the introduction of a Future Homes Standard from 2025. We expect that homes built to the Future Homes Standard will have carbon dioxide emissions 75-80 per cent lower than those built to current Building Regulations standards, which means they will be fit for the future, with low carbon heating and very high fabric standards.The Government's Consultation Principles, promoted by Cabinet Office, provide departments with guidance on conducting consultations. Section J of that guidance states that an explanation should be provided where it is not possible to publish a response within 12 weeks of the consultation.The Future Homes Standard consultation closed on 7 February and received over 3300 responses from organisations and individuals, many of which were detailed or provided supporting evidence that requires further consideration. This level of response exceeded expectations and is over ten times the amount of responses that were received for our previous 2012 consultation about changes to the building regulations that relate to the energy efficiency of buildings (part L).Since the Future Homes Standard consultation closed, the department has been faced with the biggest public health emergency in living memory: a pandemic which has forced action across all of Government, resulting in unprecedented response, from shielding the most vulnerable, to keeping business running, preventing the loss of jobs, and supporting our public services. Every part of this Department has been rapidly mobilised to support those in need, from saving lives, protecting the vulnerable to supporting our NHS.Our analysis of the Future Homes Standard consultation is ongoing and the Government remains committed to publishing a response in as timely a manner as possible, in line with principle J of the Cabinet Office principles.

Sleeping Rough: Coronavirus

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for testing rough sleepers for COVID-19 when they come in off the streets; and what funds they will provide for such work.

lord greenhalgh: We are continuing to work with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to explore the case for testing rough sleepers for COVID-19 when they come in off the streets. However, following the expansion of testing, anyone with symptoms of coronavirus can now access a COVID-19 swab test, including those being moved into and currently in emergency accommodation. This will enable us to control the risk of outbreaks amongst this vulnerable group.We continue to recognise the challenges that people experiencing rough sleeping face and we are working with local authorities to consider how we can improve access to testing for vulnerable groups.

Sleeping Rough: Coronavirus

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government which local authorities have not responded to their request for information about rough sleepers and those in need of emergency accommodation to inform their decisions about additional funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord greenhalgh: Nearly 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown period. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) surveyed all local authorities about accommodation support provided to rough sleepers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Buildings: Insulation

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have set a date by which prohibited aluminium composite material cladding is to be removed from buildings; and if so, what is that date.

lord greenhalgh: For the removal of unsafe ACM cladding from high-rise residential buildings the Government has provided £600 million in funding. We have made progress, and as a result of our action, across all sectors, 209 buildings have either completed remediation or have had their ACM cladding systems removed. It is our ambition that all remaining building owners have works on site by the end of 2020, with completion of remedial works by the end of 2021.

Ministry of Defence

War Widows: Pensions

baroness fookes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to set a date to reinstate the pensions of war widows that were withdrawn on remarriage or cohabitation before April 2015.

baroness goldie: Officials have now developed a number of options to be considered. The full financial and legal implications of these options are being explored so that the Defence Secretary can decide how to proceed. Work on this is continuing at pace both in the Ministry of Defence and across Government.

War Widows: Pensions

baroness crawley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the Secretary of State for Defence to the Chair of the War Widows' Association on 29 June, what plans they have to revisit their policy on war widows' pensions.

baroness goldie: Officials have now developed a number of options to be considered. The full financial and legal implications of these options are being explored so that the Defence Secretary can decide how to proceed. Work on this is continuing at pace both in the Ministry of Defence and across Government.

Satellites

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice the Ministry of Defence has provided to other Government departments on the military capability of the OneWeb satellite system.

lord tunnicliffe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment the Ministry of Defence has made of the military capability of the OneWeb satellite system.

baroness goldie: The investment in OneWeb is not a Defence matter. The SKYNET satellite programme will provide for global military communications and no formal assessment has been made of the military use of OneWeb.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture and Trade

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in agreeing common frameworks with the devolved administrations, in particular in regard to (1) trade, (2) agriculture, and (3) fisheries, policies.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Defra is working closely with the Devolved Administrations to agree the common frameworks that we will need for those returning EU powers that intersect with Devolved competence. We have made significant progress in developing the policy content of the frameworks mentioned and these will be shared for parliamentary scrutiny at the appropriate stage of policy development. The set of principles, including the need to ensure that frameworks support the UK’s international trade obligations, agreed at the Joint Ministerial Committee for EU negotiations in October 2017 guide Defra and the Devolved Administrations in the development of these frameworks.

Home Office

Refugees: Greek Islands

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the next Strategic Migration Dialogue between the UK and Greece will take place; whether they will publishthe agenda of that meeting in advance; and whether the agenda will include (1) the “best interests” of unaccompanied migrant children, and (2) speeding up the transfer of children and adults from the Aegean Islands to the mainland.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK-Greece Action Plan sets the strategic direction for future cooperation between our two governments on irregular migration. We will be working closely with the Greek Government to progress all actions under the Plan over the coming months.

Asylum: Finance

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that asylum seekers who have no recourse to public funds can obtain soap and other essentials; and what plans they have, if any, to provide such people with mobile telephones whilst they are in the process of applying for asylum.

baroness williams of trafford: Asylum seekers receiving support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are generally provided with accommodation and a cash allowance to cover other essential living needs, including hygiene products. For those in section 98 Initial Accommodation and hotel or hostel accommodation, hygiene products are provided to them.The level of the cash allowance provided takes into account communication needs, including the cost of buying and using a mobile phone. As a result of the Covid-19 crisis a higher proportion of asylum seekers than usual are being accommodated in full-board hostels and hotels. We are looking at practical ways of providing internet access to this group and other ways to enable them to communicate effectively.

Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre: Coronavirus

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Report on short scrutiny visits to Immigration removal centres by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, published on 12 May,why nine detainees were released from the Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre withouta confirmed address to go to during the COVID-19pandemic.

baroness williams of trafford: We do not comment on individual cases. With regard to support provided to foreign nationals released from detention during the current pandemic I refer the Right Honourable Lord to my answer of 27 May 2020 which can be found at: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&max=20&questiontype=AllQuestions&house=commons%2Clords&uin=HL4210

Isa Muazu

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the handling of the case of Isa Muazu who was deported to Nigeria in December 2013.

baroness williams of trafford: I am unable to comment on individual cases on the grounds of data protection principles and operational independence of the police and courts.The Home Office will however always ensure that cases such as these are handled with extreme professionalism to ensure that decisions are lawfully made in the best interests of the British public.All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of the latest available country of origin information and any relevant caselaw.The Home Office only seeks to return those whose claims have been unsuccessful and who, by definition, do not need our protection and are not at risk on return. We work closely with other countries to ensure people are returned safely and with dignity.

Deportation

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many deportations (1) were halted in 2018, (2) were halted in 2019, and (3) have been halted to date in2020; and what was the reason in each case.

baroness williams of trafford: Providing the information requested would require a manual check of individual records which could only be done at disproportionate cost.The Home Office publishes data on people in detention and returns from the UK in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release)Figures covering the second quarter of 2020 will be published in the next Immigration Statistics release on 27 August 2020. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=release-date-oldest).

Immigration

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications for settled or pre-settled status in the UK are yet to be concluded.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office publishes data on the EU Settlement Scheme in the ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics). Data on the number of applications and concluded applications are published in Tables 1 and 2 of the monthly EUSS statistics tables (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-may-2020). Additional information on the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to 28 August 2018 to 31 May 2020. The latest published information shows more than 3.6 million (3,612,400) EU Settlement Scheme applications had been received up to 31 May 2020. In the same period 3.3 million (3,319,000) applications had been concluded, of which 57% were granted settled status and 41% granted pre-settled status.

Disease Control: Research

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date the cross-departmental governance board, referenced in their paper UK Biological Security Strategy, publishedon 30 July 2018, was set up.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK Biological Security Strategy Governance Board was set up in October 2018. The Governance Board is supported and informed by the UK Biological Security Strategy Working Group.

Disease Control: Research

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date the cross-departmental governance board, referenced in their paper UK Biological Security Strategy, published on 30 July 2018, had its first meeting.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK Biological Security Strategy Governance Board first met in December 2018. The Governance Board is supported and informed by the UK Biological Security Strategy Working Group.

Disease Control: Research

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings the Biological Security Strategy Governance Board had with the Minister for Security in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, and (3) 2020.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK Biological Security Strategy Governance Board has not directly met the Security Minister but has been briefed on the work of the Biological Security Strategy.

Disease Control: Research

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many officials from the Ministry of Defence were members of the Biological Security Strategy Governance Board in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, and (3) 2020.

baroness williams of trafford: The Ministry of Defence’s representation on the Biological Security Strategy Governance Board consists of either one or two representatives, depending on the meeting agenda. This has not changed since 2018.

Disease Control: Research

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings the Biological Security Strategy Governance Board had with the Secretary of State for Defence in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, and (3) 2020.

baroness williams of trafford: The Governance Board has not met with the Secretary of State for Defence.

Scotland Office

Scots Gaelic Language

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the preservation of the Scottish Gaelic languageis a wholly devolved matter; and if not, what is their involvement in this endeavour.

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the Scottish Government, and (2) other bodies, about the preservation of the Scottish Gaelic language.

viscount younger of leckie: Under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, preservation of the Scottish Gaelic language is a devolved matter. The Scottish Government published their second Gaelic language plan in 2016 (for 2016-2021) which outlines their commitment to support the use of the language in its operations and also how to support other public services to fulfil their own commitments to Gaelic. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) works to support minority languages through its work on the creative industries strand of the British Irish Council. This includes working with the devolved administrations to support minority languages, share best practice, and nurture more diverse UK audiences, including through minority language publications. DCMS officials also work with MG Alba (Gaelic Media Scotland who jointly own BBC Alba with the BBC) on a number of different issues to support the Gaelic language.

Cabinet Office

Brexit

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reconsider their decision not to extend the Brexit transition period.

lord true: None. At the second meeting of the WAJC on 12 June, the UK formally notified the EU that it will neither accept nor seek any extension to the Transition Period.The deadline for extension has now passed.The UK will regain its economic and political independence on 1 January 2021 at the end of the transition period and uphold a key demand of the British people.

Department for International Trade

Trade and Agriculture Commission

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the (1) remit, and (2) composition, of the proposed Trade and Agriculture Commission; and whether the Commission's recommendations to the Government will bebinding.

lord grimstone of boscobel: The Department for International Trade has announced on Friday 10 July further details of the new Trade and Agriculture Commission which has been set up to act as an advisory board to my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade. The Commission will be chaired by Tim Smith, former director of FSA, and will have a fixed term of six months to consider trade policies that Government should adopt to secure opportunities for UK farmers, producers and exporters. The Commission will ensure the sector remains competitive and that animal welfare and environmental standards in food production are not undermined. At the end of its work, the Trade and Agriculture Commission will produce an advisory report which will be presented to Parliament by the Department for International Trade. The recommendations will not be binding as the Commission has an advisory role.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Concert Halls and Theatres: Coronavirus

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, they have made of the proportion of (1) theatres, (2) live music venues, (3) concert halls, and (4) arenas, for which it would be more expensive to open under social distancing restrictions than to remain closed.

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) theatres, (2) live music venues, (3) concert halls, and (4) arenas,aboutthe average capacity needed to make a profit.

lord aberdare: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they estimate live arts performances to resume (1)with, and(2) without, social distancing restrictions.

baroness barran: As part of continued engagement with our sectors, DCMS Ministers, and officials have spoken to many organisations in the arts and culture sectors directly, as well as arms-length bodies and sector representatives. Through this engagement we know that the capacity needed to make a profit varies not just between the sub-sectors, but also between individual organisations and on an even more granular level, what those organisations programme. These considerations, as well as costs relating to staffing, fixed costs, maintenance, production costs, and loans, also impact upon the size of the possible finance gap an organisation may have when considering when and whether to reopen. Following the establishment of the Cultural Renewal Taskforce, on 23 June the Prime Minister announced that from 4 July theatres will be permitted to reopen for rehearsal, pre-production and broadcast, although not yet for live performance with an audience. Alongside the work that we are doing with representatives of the entertainment and events industry to develop supporting guidance, this represents the first steps in the roadmap to recovery for our nations’ theatres. The Government remains committed to supporting the cultural sector through this pandemic and getting the curtain up at venues for live performances across the country as soon as it is safe to do so.

Music: Coronavirus

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what feedback stakeholders have given on the economic viability for live music venues to operate under social distancing guidelines.

baroness barran: We appreciate that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge for live music venues. We are committed to reopening creative businesses, including live music venues, as soon as it is safe to do so. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recently set out a five stage roadmap that the government will work through to get the live entertainment and outdoor events sectors back up and running as soon as possible. The ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group was established to support the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce, and it focuses on developing Covid-19 secure guidance to enable the safe reopening of the live entertainment and outdoor events sectors. However, the Government recognises some live music venues will have difficulty operating financially under social distancing guidelines. On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors, including live music venues.

Music: Coronavirus

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of international examples of sector-specific support for live music during the COVID-19 pandemic; and, if so, whether they intend to provide similar support.

baroness barran: While we are aware of examples of sector-specific support made available in other countries, the Government’s response has been one of the most generous and comprehensive in the world. On Sunday 5 July 2020, the Secretary of State announced a major £1.57 billion support package for key cultural organisations to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. This funding will provide targeted support to organisations across a range of cultural and creative sectors, including the live music sector.